High-speed wrapping apparatus



0. HAUGWITZ HIGH-SPEED WRAPPING APPARATUS Nov 26, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 25, 1962 2 I IIIIIIII"! ////I/////// I///Il/IIIIIII/// l I I I I I:::

Nov. 26, 1963 o. HAUGWITZ HIGH-SPEED WRAPPING APPARATUS Filed July 2%; 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,111,803 HIGH-SPEED WRAPPlNG APPARATUS Gtto Haugwitz, 14 Les Cigognes, Domaine de Saint Francois dAssise, La (Zellc-Sairrt-Cloud, France Filed July 25, 1962, er. No. 222,749 Claims priority. application France July 27, H61 6 Claims. (CI. 57-13) The present invention relates to the wrapping at high speeds of continuous cylindrical bodies, for example telephone ca'bles, which comprise a plurality of assembled elements, such as quads wound about a cable core, which are required to be held together.

It is known at present that such wrappings, generally in the form of layers of non-interlaced threads of cotton or other like material, can be applied at high speed by means of central-head Wrapping apparatus.

In central-head wrapping apparatus, the layers of threads which have been formed during the course of a preceding operation, are wound onto reels arranged coaxiarlly with the cable to be wrapped, further reels also being threaded onto the cable and used successively. When the thread on all the reels is exhausted, the cable being wrapped is cut to permit new reels to be threaded thereon.

The present invention has as an object to provide a wrapping method, and apparatus using such a method, whereby this disadvantage can be overcome and thereby a higher wrapping speed can be achieved. This object is particularly achieved by reducing the number and duration of the periods when the wrapping apparatus is stopped.

According to the invention there is provided a method of high-speed wrapping of continuous cylindrical bodies, for example telephone cables. The method comprises arranging an even number of reels radially about the cylindrical body, each reel carrying a thread, guiding these threads first radially and then substantially parallel to the axis of the cylindrical body; grouping the threads in two layers each of several threads, and applying the said two layers at two diametrically opposite points onto the cylindrical body; and rotating about the axis of the cylindrical body the assembly formed by the reels and the guiding means during displacement of the cylindrical body in its axial direction.

According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided apparatus for wrapping with an even number of threads a continuous cylindrical body such as a telephone cable, such apparatus comprising a hollow shaft which is rotatable about its axis and which is adapted to pass therethrough the cylindrical body to be wrapped, an even number of reel supports carried by a casing mounted on the hollow shaft radially outwardly thereof, a first thread guide for each thread arranged near the shaft, a second thread guide for each thread axially spaced from said first guide and substantially the same radial distance from the axis as said first thread guide and two dies each for grouping half of the threads into a layer and arranged, so that in use of the apparatus, the two thus formed layers are wound on opposite sides of the cylindrical body as the latter is moved axially and rotated about said axis relative to the hollow shaft.

The basic principles of the construction and operation of apparatus according to this invention will be brought out more clearly from the following description which is given with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a half sectional view of wrapping apparatus according to the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of the apparatus illustrated in FIGURE 1.

3,1 1 1,8'fi3 Patented Nov. 26, 1963 In the drawings, the apparatus shown comprises a hollow shaft I, mounted on bearings (not shown) and carrying a pulley 2 driven by a belt 3. The cable 4 which is to be wrapped passes through the hollow shaft 1 and is given a linear movement in the direction indicated by the arrows.

The hollow shaft 1 carries a cylindrical casing 5 which comprises an even number of radial compartments equal to the desired number of threads, for example six as indicated in FIGURE 2. Each compartment comprises an access door 6 (FIGURE 1) which can be locked in a closed position by a flat spring '7.

Within each compartment there is fixed a conical support 8 on which is mounted a conical reel 9, the apex of which points towards the axis of the cable. The reels 9 are fixed with their supports 8 by means of a screw 10 and a dished metal plate ll supports the part-spherical portion formed by the thread at the base of each conical reel 9. The head of the screw llll can be ogive-ishaped, as shown in broken lines at 10a, this ogive-shape ensuring correct unwinding of the reel even when the latter is almost empty.

The thread 12 from each reel is threaded through an orifice 13 situated on the axis of the associated reel at a distance beyond the apex of the core (indicated in broken lines) and bounding a full reel 9. The thread unwinds from the reel which remains fixed in position relative to its axis.

The thread 12 is then led through a brake 14, constituted, for example, by two washers clamped against one another by an adjustable spring, and through a second orifice 15 carried by a support 16 carried by the hollow shaft 1. The support 16 carries as many orifices 15 as there are threads 12, and therefore a number equal to the number of compartments in the cylindrical casing 53.

As they issue from the orifice 15, the various threads are grouped into two layers, two layers of three threads in the example described. These two layers are each formed in one of two dies 17 which are also carried by the support 16, from which the said layers proceed towards the points of application 18, which are diametrically opposite one another, on the cable 4 to be wrapped.

It is also possible, with this apparatus, to group the various threads into a single covering layer.

In order to provide a safety device in the case of any thread breaking, the casing 5 carries for each neighboring pair of threads, a very light weight balanced two-arm lever 19 which can pivot about a pin 20, as illustrated in FIGURE 2.

In the normal operating position, the pair of tensioned threads pass along the two ends of the lever 19 and hold it in the position of equilibrium shown in full lines.

If a thread breaks, the lever 19 is no longer supported at one side and the lever ll? rocks about its pivot 26 under the action of the thread which is intact and comes into contact with an insulated ring 21 connected to an electric circuit controlling the covering apparatus, thus causing the apparatus to stop.

The advantages of the apparatus according to the invention may now be brought out more clearly: The preliminary operation of making up reels with several threads 13 avoided; for an equal weight of reels in service, the length of the thread is multiplied by the number of threads of the pre-constituted reels of the known apparatus; therefore, there is very substantial reduction in the number of stoppages necessary for changing reels; the cutting of the cable which is necessary in known central-head apparatus is avoided; and finally, with radially directed thread reels fixed on their axes and conical in shape, the centrifugal force cannot hinder the unwinding of the threads.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for wrapping with an even number of threads a continuous cylindrical body, such apparatus comprising a hollow shaft mounted for rotation about its axis, said shaft being adapted to pass therethrough the cylindrical body to be wrapped; a cylindrical casing affixed to said shaft; an even number of reel supports mounted in said casing, a reel of thread mounted on each of said supports, a first thread guide for each reel of thread arranged near said shaft; a second thread guide for each reel of thread axially spaced from said first thread guide and substantially the same distance from the said axis as the first thread guide, two dies axially spaced from said second thread guide on the remote side thereof from said first thread guide, said first and second thread guides and said diets being affixed to said shaft; means for axially moving said cylindrical body, and means for rotating said shaft relative to said cylindrical body, said thread guides and dies being effective to lead each of said threads through its respective pair of guides and group the threads so that half pass through each die to be disposed on diametrically opposite sides of said cylindrical body.

2. Apparauts as specified in claim 1 and including a thread brake positioned between each of said first and second guides etfective to restrict movement of the respective thread.

3. Apparatus as specified in claim 1 and including a control mechanism for controlling the means for rotating said shaft, such control mechanism including for each adjacent pair of threads, a balanced two armed lever positioned to pass one thread of each pair about one arm and the other thread of each pair about the other arm, said lever being effective, on breakage of one thread of a pair, to pivot and stop rotation of said shflt.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said casing comprises an access door for each reel support in said casing and means for securing each of the access doors in closed position whereby said casing may be substantially closed.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein said means for securing each of the access doors comprises a fiat spring.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said balanced two arm lever-s have the shape of arcs of a circle, the apparatus comprising means for centrally pivoting the balanced two arm levers for pivotal movement about axes extending parallel to the shaft and the axis of rotation thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 408,696 Clorer Aug. 13, 1889 761,129 Ashworth May 31, 1904 1,091,104 Wroughton Mar. 24, 1914 1,100,538 Cooper June 16, 1914 1,990,849 Wagon Feb. 12, 1935 2,003,353 Fantone et al. June 4, 1935 

1. APPARATUS FOR WRAPPING WITH AN EVEN NUMBER OF THREADS A CONTINUOUS CYLINDRICAL BODY, SUCH APPARATUS COMPRISING A HOLLOW SHAFT MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ABOUT ITS AXIS, SAID SHAFT BEING ADAPTED TO PASS THERETHROUGH THE CYLINDRICAL BODY TO BE WRAPPED; A CYLINDRICAL CASING AFFIXED TO SAID SHAFT; AN EVEN NUMBER OF REEL SUPPORTS MOUNTED IN SAID CASING, A REEL OF THREAD MOUNTED ON EACH OF SAID SUPPORTS, A FIRST THREAD GUIDE FOR EACH REEL OF THREAD ARRANGED NEAR SAID SHAFT; A SECOND THREAD GUIDE FOR EACH REEL OF THREAD AXIALLY SPACED FROM SAID FIRST THREAD GUIDE AND SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME DISTANCE FROM THE SAID AXIS AS THE FIRST THREAD GUIDE, TWO DIES AXIALLY SPACED FROM SAID SECOND THREAD GUIDE ON THE REMOTE SIDE THEREOF FROM SAID FIRST THREAD GUIDE, SAID FIRST AND SECOND THREAD GUIDES AND SAID DIES BEING AFFIXED TO SAID SHAFT; MEANS FOR AXIALLY MOVING SAID CYLINDRICAL BODY, AND MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID SHAFT RELATIVE TO SAID CYLINDRICAL BODY, SAID THREAD GUIDES AND DIES BEING EFFECTIVE TO 